Safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus DSM 29226 as a silage additive for all animal species

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus when used as a technological additive intended to improve ensiling at a proposed application rate of 5.0 × 10⁷ colony-forming units (CFU)/kg fresh material. The bacterial species L. rhamnosus is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the strain has been clearly established and as no antibiotic resistance of concern was detected, the use of the strain as a silage additive is considered safe for livestock species, for consumers of products from animals fed the treated silage and for the environment. In the absence of data, no conclusion can be drawn on the skin and eye irritancy or skin sensitisation of the additive. The additive should be considered as a potential respiratory sensitiser. Seven studies with laboratory-scale silos were made using samples of forage of differing dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrate content. In each case, replicate silos containing treated forage were compared with identical silos containing the same but untreated forage. The results showed that the additive has the potential to improve the production of silage from easy and moderately difficult to ensile forage species by reducing dry matter loss and enhancing protein preservation. This was shown at the proposed application rate of 5 × 10⁷ CFU/kg forage.